Greener Grass and Bluer Skies
by Grand Phoenix
Summary: A disease threatening the stability of the continent sends Yamato on a mission to find the one person capable of stopping it. /Pre-Shippuuden/
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:** All characters and locations belong to their respective owners.

_A/N: One of many potential but unfinished projects, this one which I started back in late June of last year. It was inspired, at the time, by my experiences reading three of the Percy Jackson books (The Lightning Thief, The Sea Monster, and The Titan's Curse). Like most of my ideas, I wanted to see how I would be able to place a character from one series and integrate him/her/it into another, wholly different setting._

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**Greener Grass and Bluer Skies**

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**1.**

Tsunade should have known something was wrong the moment the leaves began to fall.

Summer was soon to depart from the world for another year. The month was August and the first of said month. Fire Country at this time was true to its name: blisteringly hot with temperatures peaking dangerously close to three-digit numbers while box fans and air conditions roared at the highest, coldest setting.

This was the type of weather that made people curse the heat, bemoan the high humidity that made the air dry and the flesh sticky with sweat. This was weather that culminated in powerful thunderstorms and heavy floods, both results from natural atmospheric condensation and tropical depressions or hurricanes forming in the southeastern sea (monsoon season was still on-going). It made life for civilian and ninja dull, lazy, and chaotic, depending on which person you inquired.

For Senju Tsunade, Fifth Hokage of Konoha, August first was quiet and uneventful, but for all the wrong reasons.

_Why didn't I think of it sooner?_ She sipped again at the _sake_ and set the flask down on the hardwood desk. _Leaves don't change color in June and fall in July. Maybe it's all this rain we've been getting. Didn't Shizune say the other day the longer forests stayed greener the higher the levels of ozone and carbon dioxide were?_ She knew how the basics worked, how chakra and jutsu conjoined with weather patterns, climates, and different temperatures (for example, fire and wind jutsu would do significantly more damage in Fire Country compared to, say, earth jutsu), but that was all she wrote. She was a medic-nin, not a meteorologist. Leave the technical stuff to those who were well-versed in their area.

She chanced a look at the clock on the wall. The hands pointed at one-thirty in the afternoon.

_Where is he? It shouldn't take a former operative this long to—_ There came a loud knock from the door. Tsunade counted the raps. Six, followed by a delayed seventh. _That must be him._ "Come in."

The door opened, and in entered a tall, sleek ANBU. A man with a broad body frame, wiry muscles, and dried blood on his breastplate.

"Lady Hokage," said the man. The wolf mask bobbed in deference to the woman at the desk. "You wish to speak with me?"

"Yes," replied Tsunade in all seriousness. "Come here, Tenzou."

Tenzou approached, covered the distance in long, precise strides. He stopped at the desk, waiting.

"Take off your mask," Tsunade ordered.

Tenzou did. He let the mask hang on a clip at his belt. Solemn black eyes stared into honeyed amber.

Tsunade nodded. "I see you're still among us. That's good. I need a man whose head is still connected to his shoulders."

"Thank you, Lady Hokage," said Tenzou, "although I doubt you have summoned me to compliment my perseverance among the madness that is ANBU Black Ops."

"Far from it. As a matter of fact, you're the only person who can perform this task."

"What will you have me do, Milady?"

Tsunade held up a hand, then reached forth and touched a slip of inked paper at the corner of the desk. The characters on the paper glowed, and all along the walls and floor and ceiling chakra circuits flared – intricate networks a muted pastel blue. The light receded, leaving glaring spots behind fluttered eyelids and a sense of numbness from within.

A sound suppression seal. Excellent for preventing infiltrators from catching word on any of a Hidden Village's closely guarded secrets.

"What I'm about to tell you cannot be repeated outside these doors," said Tsunade. "Although recent circumstances indicate otherwise, I believe we still have some time left. Listen well, Tenzou. I'm only going to say this once, do you understand?"

"I'm all ears, Lady Hokage," said Tenzou.

"Have you noticed the trees lately? It's the beginning of August, and already the leaves are falling. It shouldn't be happening, not this early in the year. _Risshu_ doesn't start until next week, according to the solar term."

Tenzou hummed. "It is very odd. I have not been unaware of the abnormalities. The Department of Botany and Dendrology called me on multiple occasions to identify the source."

"Yes, I've read the reports." The Godaime picked up a sheaf of stapled papers and flipped through them. "I didn't think there were this many diseases for trees. Let me see…canker rot, sudden oak death, chestnut blight, slime flux, armillaria root rot, chlorosis, and other names I've never heard of."

"Some of these diseases are very destructive. While there is a lack of effective cures, they can be managed. Slime influx can be treated with rubbing alcohol or a solution mixed with water and bleach. Plants with nutrient deficiencies can be fed an amount of iron and an assortment of compounds, such as magnesium or sulphate. As for the others, like sudden oak death and chestnut blight," Tenzou sighed and crossed his arms, "those are going to be exceedingly difficult to manage."

"Won't herbicide and fungicide be enough?"

Tenzou shook his head. "No, the disease is far too along to be treated. The next best option would be to cut these trees down and burn them. Herbicide and fungicide have to be applied very early on or the medicine won't produce its intended effects."

"As good as that idea sounds Konohagakure is still recovering from the Oto-Suna invasion this past year. We have the funds to assign missions to Genin teams and hire lumberjacks within and outside Fire Country, but not enough to pay each individual piecemeal. As a result, our forces are expecting to receive outbound assignments from our allies than here in Konoha."

"That depends if the requestor solely requires our assistance. He has his own people – and his own country – to worry about."

"Indeed," Tsunade sighed. "We're in for some hard times, Tenzou…."

"I'm afraid so, Lady Hokage."

"But I'd rather we suffer economically than catastrophically." At Tenzou's inquiring gaze, the Hokage added, "Which brings me to the main point of our meeting. The situation is much worse than it appears to be. This past July I had requested the Department of Botany and Dendrology to acquire samples of infected plants and trees for study, and earlier today I received the results." Tsunade's face darkened, eyes hardening so much it seemed to be a façade of deeper, more complex feelings. "To put it simply, almost half the forests in Fire Country are infected by a new strain of dieback. And it's spreading fast."

"That can't be," Tenzou breathed incredulously. "We've been getting so much rain these past couple weeks, so this dieback couldn't have been caused by drought. And we hardly encounter cells of acid rain this deep in Fire Country." The gears grinded doggedly in his mind, churning through the dark of his thoughts for an answer. "What about parasites? Have any been detected in the samples during the inspection?"

Tsunade dismissed the idea with a wave of her hand. "Nothing whatsoever. In fact, when the Department went to retrieve the samples they found a slew of dead animals in a different part of Fire Country they covered. Autopsies show that the animals that ingested fruits and greenery infected by the strain had their muscles and bones devoured before they died. As far as I'm aware, the disease is nontransmittible."

"And the sharecrops and farmlands? How crops affected as well?"

"Them, too," Tsunade nodded gravely. "It's just as bad as the forests, if not worse. Families are scraping by, feeding on what's left of last year's harvest. At the rate the dieback is spreading, it's only a matter of time before larders are emptied out and people start killing cattle for meat. Sooner or later, malnutrition is going to set in. We'll be combating conditions that have not seen the light of day since the Senju-Uchiha War, conditions like scurvy and pellagra that are only found in hot environments like the dungeons in the Department of Torture and Interrogation." Tsunade sighed, picked up the bottle of _sake_ and took a long pull from it. "It's scary, isn't it? As shinobi we kill on a daily basis, but never have we felled our foes in insurmountable numbers. Not in a single day like this dieback disease. Killing a person, Tenzou, can range from an instant to a few seconds to even days; it all depends on the method of execution and how fast and lethal the force of impact is, be it via weapon or natural causes. Anyone and anything can be killed, but anyone and anything can be subdued. If it's too powerful to defeat, then there's no other option but to contain the enemy in a closed environment until he weakens and can be properly disposed of. That, Tenzou, is the philosophy of overcoming odds too great to deal."

"Are you implying I create a cure for the dieback?" asked Tenzou. "Please don't take offense, but if that is to be my mission objective I guarantee you it won't work. If this strain has indeed cropped up in June (regardless of the time) and already infected this many trees, then there is no point in developing one. There is simply not enough time and not enough resources."

"I had a feeling you would say that," said Tsunade. "Utilizing the Mokuton to replace fallen trees is a waste of chakra. The cycle will just repeat itself without end."

"Unfortunately so. Is there enough food to feed the village?"

"So far? Yes, if we ration proportionally, but in a matter of weeks – maybe a month – it'll all be gone. I've had the Botany and Dendrology Department inspect a number of private properties to diagnose whether or not arable land is safe to plant. In Konoha's early years, your predecessor the Shodaime built several seed vaults underground in case a crisis ever arose."

"Is there anyone else who else is aware of the situation, aside from we've mentioned?"

"There are a few Chuunin and Jounin with an Earth/Water affinity, but they are not many. I'd relayed a message to the Daimyou and Kage of the Five Great Countries to dispatch any available soldiers that can be of assistance. We can pay in advance later on when we've got the strain under control."

"_If_ we get it under control, if you don't mind me saying so."

"Yes," Tsunade intoned, "if. No one knows how long it'll be before it spreads outside the borders. It may already have by now, but I've not heard a reply since last week. If they're weighing their options, they're taking their sweet time doing it." She laced her fingers together and rested her elbows on the desk. "I can only imagine what the damage will be like. Grass and Waterfall will no doubt be hit hard. Earth, Lightning, and Wind, on the other hand, will be the only countries left unscathed. Everywhere else will suffer similar states of famine, rioting, and looting…."

"There's still a chance, Lady Hokage," Tenzou assured her. "I am here to serve at your behest, though I don't know where I am supposed to begin."

Tsunade drained what remained in the bottle and set it aside. "Conventional means won't help us here. There _is_ one way, and _only_ one way, to go about solving this problem." She opened a drawer and withdrew a manila envelope onto the desk. The words **TOP SECRET** blared in an eye-bleeding red, blocky font.

Tenzou stared curiously at the object. "Milady…?"

"Last week, around the same time I sent the requests to the ruling heads of the Five Great Countries, an ANBU operative stationed in Cloud delivered this to me." She tapped a lacquered finger on the envelope. "Inside this envelope is an S-class secret so big it rivals that of Uzumaki Naruto's status as the Kyuubi Jinchuuriki. A secret that is imperative to the success of your mission."

"What is the secret?"

Tsunade took a deep breath, swallowed thickly. "Tenzou, I am no longer the last remaining Senju. There is another, one who shares the same Kekkei Genkai you inherited and Hashirama once possessed, with a power so rare it has the potential to undo all the damage the strain has caused. And you, Tenzou, are going to bring her here."


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer:** All characters and locations belong to their respective owners.

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**2.**

Tenzou had been on the road for eight days, but he had already seen enough destruction to last a lifetime.

It would do no good to take a coach, for the wood the vehicles were constructed from was most assuredly rotting and falling apart. No, Tsunade told him, it was better if he went on foot. Instead she provided him a horse, a brindle-backed chestnut stallion named Hakuou, who was owned by a sharecropper who held a seat in the Department of Commerce and Trade within the Hidden Village's walls. The sharecropper and his farmhands loaded the horse for the journey, bags of chaff, grains, and the best roughage the man could spare. If Tenzou rationed the beast's meals accordingly (as he was instructed so), then there would be enough food left for the return trip. However, it was very possible he would have to make stops for when the bags grew light, a warning the sharecropper ensured to have drilled in Tenzou's head.

"What about water?" Tenzou had asked the evening before the journey. "If what you say about the forests up north is true, then it should be safe for Hakuou to drink, yes?"

The sharecropper nodded. "I'm not so sure myself, but I should hope so. There is less greenery the higher the elevation. I have been to Cloud but twice in my life, but I recall the land being very dry and sparsely vegetated compared to that of Wind Country."

"What do you suggest I do?"

"Take the Blue Road," the sharecropper jabbed a knotted finger to the northwest. "It winds alongside many rivers and lake beds. Follow the signs on the milestones; it will lead you away from Cloud, but there are towns that have cisterns reserved for harvesting rain and- storm water. Do not be surprised if those people don't give you much for they need it for their livestock and themselves. It should be enough to keep both you and Hakuou hydrated 'til you reach your destination.

"When you reach the end of the Blue Road, turn east and tread the Crimson Trail. You can find it tucked away by the Nibi's Hollow, a ridge that was created by the Bijuu in the days before its sealing. From there it should be easy to reach Cloud."

So after Hakuou was fed and given his water, Tenzou mounted the horse and galloped from the gates of Konoha. There he rode west on Blue Fire Avenue and crossed the bridge of the Nakano, leaving behind the copious, wooden empire into the vast open plains colonized by settler from all walks of life. Through humble hamlets, quiet microtowns, and chaotic cities he traveled, wading past throngs of nervous folk and children who were oblivious to the unfolding crisis. For several hours he did not stop even as darkness fell and his stomach growled for sustenance. Atop Hakuou the country was a blur, a black-blue watercolor portrait brought to life with the presence of a clear, star-speckled sky and full silver moon.

The damage from the strain was made all too clear and all too real when he stopped for the night at a local tavern.

"Horrible, ain't it?" said the owner as Tenzou stared at the scene in front of them. The area was alight with bamboo torches and roaring braziers, but there was fire _everywhere_, eating the trees and the grass and dead leaves piled high against trunks soaked to the bark in sap, amber, and black slime oozing between the cracks of split cankers. "Almost seems surreal, like a dream."

"Or a nightmare," added Tenzou.

The owner made an affirmative sound. "Didn't think it was gonna turn out this way. Old Man Yohmei, he says the last time summat like this happened was when Shodaime was still in power. Says that long-haired Uchiha, Madara, poisoned the earth from one o' them Bijuu so's he could weaken Konoha's foundations and attack it when all the forces were running themselves tired to feed everyone. 'Twas a mighty bad time, he says. Food was rottin', crops were dying, people old an' young starvin' and fightin' for a scrap of bread or sip o' water. Why, if it ain't been for Bakasu Thunderspark's medical genius, Konoha woulda fallen."

"Bakasu Thunderspark?"

"You never heard o' him? Most folks here know 'im by Bakasu, but Bacchus and Berkus are his other names. He was one o' them Senju with an Earth/Lightning affinity. Real tall and built like an ox with long green hair and tinted blue skin. There's a portrait o' the guy over the bar."

"I'm sorry, I didn't notice." There were ninjas standing outside the ring of fire. Katon journeymen manipulated the fire under control with one-handed seals and determined, sweat-slick faces. Off to one side was a group taking advantage of a burbling brook, utilizing Suiton Jutsu to bend into their hands and spill onto felled trees flaking white ash to wet, brown soil. "What did Berkus do to stop the disease?"

The owner scratched his balding head. "Eh, I think he made some sort of vaccine. Whaddya technical folk call it…? Ah, a mutagen. Don't know the whole details, but Old Man Yohmei claims Bakasu had the Shodaime help 'im make a bunch of paper seals that'd suck up all the disease within a certain area."

"That's advanced Fuuinjutsu," Tenzou said with amazement. "It's more complex than constructing a seal meant for Bijuu. Unless…Berkus also had the Shodaime's ability and stored a Fuuton Jutsu to collect chakra corrupted by the disease."

The owner shrugged. "Who knows? Ain't a ninja like you, but I sure as hell know you ain't got a clue yourself." He heaved a dramatic sigh. "Oh, if only Bakasu were still alive! He woulda set things back ta normal!"

They watched the fires blaze for a while longer, shoulder to shoulder, perspiration dotting their flesh and soaking the pits of their outfits. Tenzou turned in for the night when he couldn't take the heat anymore, but sleep did not come at once. Bakasu Thunderspark's name resonated like droplets splashing in a cave of echoes, his alleged methods of curing Madara's poison a tuning-fork in the shadows of the ANBU's dreamscapes.

Lady Tsunade had made no mention of this man. Why? Why was that? He wrote her an encrypted letter with these questions the following morning and asked for one of the off-duty Chuunin to deliver it post-haste.

He received his answers hours later at the bend of a river overflowing with brackish water and gummy gossamer. He freed the note strapped to the hawk's leg and unrolled the paper to read.

"_Tenzou,_

_I searched through my family's genealogy charts and historical records, and there's nothing about this Berkus Thunderspark. There aren't many group photos of the Senju clan, but I can assure you there has never been a Senju with green hair and tinted blue skin. Perhaps the owner of the inn got his sources mixed up and his information incorrect._

_There is, however, an article which explains the event of Madara's poisoning Konoha, although it is condensed at best. Unfortunately, it doesn't go into detail what my grandfather did to contain the virus. At best it could have been a minor incident._

_Continue with your mission. The faster you travel, the sooner you can get to Cloud and escort the target back to base. Keep your delays at the barest minimum._

_May the shadows hide you._

_Lady Senju Tsunade"_

"She is right," Tenzou had told Hakuou the horse. "Time is of the essence." He sent the messenger hawk on its way and boarded the saddle. He spurred the beast with a gentle kick to the ribs and snapped the reigns. "Don't push yourself, friend, but be quick. Time we have, but time is not exactly on our side."

Soon he happened upon a faded, weathered milestone. An arrow carved on its surface pointed the way west to the Blue Road and farther north the Leaf-Hot Springs border. Tenzou followed the cobbled path, which wound alongside a stretch of decaying swampland.

Weeping willows drooped over the bodies of dead animals. Deer, rabbits, raccoons, and other woodland creatures lay across and beyond the marshy field in some morbid caricature of a marionette cut from its strings. He had come across a large black bear slumped against a moldy tree, its spine exposed and bent like the sleek curve of a Wind Country longbow.

The stench of death and spoiled meat had filled his nostrils, and it was so thick and pungent it made breathing difficult. Tenzou had gagged and covered his face, and as if he had sensed his master's distress Hakuou the horse came to an abrupt stop and hesitated to continue. The urge to vomit was strong, almost overpowering. The day was eerily still but for the chuckling of a distant creek, but the flies, Gods Above there were so many _flies_. They buzzed in shape-shifting swarms, hovering over the corpses and dive-bombed upon tender innards where they would feast and chew and deconstruct the poor animal until an ivory skeleton emerged from flesh and muscle.

Tenzou could have turned back, could have rode to Konoha's Administration Building, barge into Lady Tsunade's office and demand that someone else in Black Ops take the job for him, someone more grizzled and hard-hearted than he. But he didn't relent. As his Hokage said, he was the only person in the entire continent who held the Mokuton, the only person who had the greatest chance to risk open war and do what had to be done to bring the girl, the full-blooded Senju, to the heart of the dieback strain.

If he couldn't do it, nobody would.

The week flew by like a bird in migration. The deeper into Fire Country he rode the more open and expansive the former forestry became. The nights grew cold from the lake effect.

More than once he had to drive into town and refill Hakuou's feed bags. Not only that, but he had to tend to his own needs. He would leave the beast at the stable while he ventured the local taverns and ate a meal that would last him for four or five hours. There was still food to feed many mouths, but there were settlements issuing ration cards to its citizens; and for those who were not from their area (such as Tenzou) they were offered much less. Some places had been struck so hard by the strain they could not afford to give food to outsiders. While Tenzou was fine with that, he could tell the situation was slowly and steadily worsening.

On the sixth day of his journey, an ANBU garbed in cloak and mask presented Tenzou a roll of parchment at a pub in Yugakure. Again, it was from Tsunade.

"_Tenzou,_

_I'm sorry I didn't respond sooner, but I bear some good news. The Daimyou have agreed to spare their men and women to assist with the cause. They are spread across the continent and are doing as much as they can to provide for the people._

_The Kage have also consented to send their troops abroad. Here in Konoha I've opened the seed vaults and relayed carts of mulch, fertilizer, insecticide, and medicine to land that have been inspected and deemed safe and arable by the Department of Botany and Dendrology to plant. The troops have established checkpoints along trade routes to ensure the supplies are delivered safely. I've heard rumors that low-class _nukenin_ and thief activity has increased in the past week alone, but I have faith in our forces. There is plenty of food to go around._

_But all is not well. An issue has arisen. Although the Mizukage, Kazekage, and Tsuchikage have given consent to the situation, the Raikage has refused to provide reinforcements. He claims he does not need our help, nor does he intend to extend his hand to those who are suffering. 'My people will last,' he wrote in his reply. 'We will see through this crisis and emerge anew from the ashes of the dead and the ruined. Your failsafe is nowhere near the caliber as ours.'_

_The nerve of that man! He doesn't realize the severity this _crisis _contains!__ It may not be bad now, but it _WILL_ get worse. There will be death. We can't save everyone, but we can damn well try!_

_Tenzou, _DO NOT_ lose sight of your mission and, above all, _DO NOT_ do anything that will compromise it. The girl is extremely important, even if she is not aware of it. You need to convince her to come with you, but it will not be easy. Just because she agrees doesn't mean the Raikage will, nor anyone else who knows her secret._

_I have a feeling it's going to be an uphill battle. Don't lose faith, Tenzou. Play it safe, and we may yet have the Raikage see otherwise._

The next two days felt as though they never existed, a strip of film that had been snipped from a reel. What Tenzou did know was that he had pushed Hakuou to his limits. The ANBU did not pause for anything. He adhered to lonely milestones and plowed off Blue Road onto the Crimson Trail, which by day was draped in constant darkness cast by the crater called the Nibi's Hollow.

And here he was now at the final leg of his journey. It was night, and the fire did little to warm him above the howl of a chilled wind. Hakuou was tethered to a giant redwood, tail swishing and soundly asleep. Tenzou lowered the parchment and stroked the horse's side. They were almost there. A few more miles and they would be in Kumogakure no Sato. He could rest and eat as much as he liked until then.

Tenzou reached inside his flak vest and withdrew the manila envelope. He pulled out the first sheet of paper and once more committed the information to memory.

_July 23  
__Hidden Cloud Village, Lightning Country_

_Below is a condensed compilation of facts on the person-of-interest, collected over a period of two weeks:_

_The person-of-interest is an adolescent female, going by the name Thalia Grace. Presumably sixteen to nineteen years of age. Tall in height but slender of frame, light of skin with short black hair and teal-colored eyes. Eyes are dabbed in black kohl, a custom that is documented in Wind Country to ease the strain of the heat._

_Wears black and grey, the village's national colors, and camouflage. Sometimes seen outfitted in a flak vest, presumed to be of Chuunin rank. Weapons of choice are a detachable three-link spear and a shield – peculiar but not uncommon; they are often utilized by the ninja of Snow Country. __(Note: I must mention here that the shield is a disgusting device. There is _a face_ on it, a horrible rictus capable of _petrifying_ the victim_._ However, it is only effective when one makes direct eye contact with the face, from what I have witnessed.)_

_Have watched her spar. Displays an extensive plethora of Earth and Lightning Jutsu, ranging from D- to B-rank. Saw her use Mokuton once, to grow an orchard of apple trees in Raikage's There is also a secondary ability, which reverse-engineers any damage on an object or grievous injuries to its original state by – I speculate – siphoning chakra from the atmosphere while the chakra inside said object or person recreates the structure completely from scratch. Again, I have only seen it once in action, to repair a portion of the Administration Building that was in the early stages of the strain._

There was much more to be said on this girl, but Tenzou did not need to read the rest to know Thalia Grace was blessed with a _gift_, a power surpassing even the most potent medical jutsu. Such techniques were extremely rare if not outright forbidden unless the demand to call upon it was certain and absolutely crucial.

She was the key to their salvation, not just to Konoha but the shinobi world. He was going to do what he could to get the Raikage to release the girl into his custody and restore the land to its original state. He would make him see.

"The next few days are going to be long and tenuous," he said aloud, more to himself than to the sleeping Hakuou. He returned the papers and envelope to his jacket, put his hands behind his head and lay on the grass. The stars were plentiful out in the open. He could almost see the Six Magatama sparkling above the mountaintops.

"Yes, indeed," he sighed. "They will be long. I should hope there won't be too much trouble in the process. The last thing anyone needs is war against a nation flourishing amidst the dieback." Then he fell into a comfortable sleep, and he dreamt of trees full and leafy, of green and healthy grass rolling far past the horizon, and the cry of birds heralding the dawn of a new day.


End file.
